Torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers



o. F. COUCHOT 2,580,520

TORQUE TUBE BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Jan. 1 1952 Filed Aug.5 1949 ri/ZZZ? fd'ozzcfzat Allorney Patented Jan. 1, 1952 rumour;roan-amour ASSEMBLY Eon oriornrs wamoaas Orville F. 'Gouchot, De Land,Fla.

vApplication August 5, 1949., Serial No. 108. 0

(01. eta-:14)

' This invention relates to a bracket as'sembly for supporting aclotheswringer above'a-laundry tub for swivel movement relativelythereto and,

provides means for tilting a part of the assembly for Positioning theclothes wringer in substan tialiy a horizontal plane to prevent saggingoff the clothes wringer at its outer end and for maintaining the driveshaft 01 the clothes wringer in an upright positionr I Moreparticularly; it is a primary the Present invention to provide anadjustable bracket assembly for eliminating a sagging condition of aclothes wringer for thereby maintaining the drive shaft in a properposit-ion relatively to the gear case and gear head of the wringerobject or so that the drive shaft will be correctly disposed to assureproper meshing engagement of the gears by which the shaft is drivenandby which the clothes wringer is driven by the shaft. 7

Still a Iurther objectof the invention is-to provide an adjustableassembly oi-the afore described character of extremely simpleconstruction, which is capable of being readily applied to conventionalclothes wringers, which may be quickly andreasily installed and which isextremely emcientand durable for accomplishing its intended purpose.

Variousother objects'and advantages of the I invention will hereinafterbecome more iully ape parent from the following a description of thedrawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevationai view or a laundry: tub showing a clotheswringer supported thereby" by means ofthe torque tube bracket assembly;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure; 15 an. enlarged fragmentary side tie-r,

vafional view invention; I v I "Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentaryvertical sectional vi w partly in s de e e a o of it po tion of thenvcntiQm-and Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken.

substantially along a. plane as indicated by the line 5--5 of Figure 3.I

Referring more specifically to me drawing, for

h purposeof illustrating one preferr d application and use f the torquetube bracket assemf bly, designated generally tandoompr sing thinvention, a conventional ty e ofalaund y m9 partly in verti a section.at the."

at its top andmay be provided with an agitator,

II). One oi the partitions 8 is provided at its inner end with divergingportions I I which comv bine with portions of the two partitionsdisposed t. a ri h angle he o to form a passage. 12. ofsubstantiallytriangular shape which extends,

through the tub I from top to bottom thereof.

The tub I is supported in an elevated position by depending supportinglegs I3 andihas a gear case It mounted on the underside thereof andsupported by a flange I5 on said gear case which is secured byiastenings I6 to the bottom of the tub Ibeneath the passage I2; A driveshaft I], which is driven through gearing within the gear case I4 andfrom a suitable power source, not shown, extends upwardly from said gearcase through the passage IZ andhas its upper end extending into the gearhead it, of a clothes wringer I9 which is disposed above the tub I. Thegear head I8 is swivelly mounted on the, upper end of the shaft l1sothat the wring'er I9 can be swung in substantially a horizontal planethrough a complete circle in either direction for positioning thewringer over any one of the tub compartments 9 or over any one of thepartitions-8. Suitable bevelled gearing, not shown, forms a drivingconnection between the drive shaft I! and the shaft connected to therollers of the wringen The gear head I8 is provided with a dependingtubular wringer post 20 which surrounds a portion of the drive shaft I1and which extends downwardly from the gear head and terminates above thetop of the tub I. The parts "I to 20, inclusive, constitute no part ofthe present invention but have been illustrated and briefly describedmerely to afford a better understandingof the torque tube bracket assembly 6; compr sing the in ent on nd which will. hereinattcr e doocrlbed-va The weight of the wrinser 9 normally c us s it to see above. he u I sthat t is inclined downwardly from the gear head, I8 toward its outerendwhich is inconvenient to the userand which additionally causes a tiltingof the drive shaft 11 so that the gears by whi h the shaft is driven atits low r end and, by which the haft drives the wringer at its upper endare displaced ut of proper meshing relationship thereby produ ingunnecessary wear and damage to the Accordingly, the present invention isintended I to provide a means for eliminating the sagging 01' theclothes wrinser and the d spl cement oi disposed at a right angle to thepartition pro- 7 vided with the portions II. A reducer 23 has itsrestricted end 24 engaging the upper end of the tubular bracket 2| andis permanently secured thereto by a weld 25. The tubular bracket 2|terminates adjacent the upper end of the restricted lower portion 24 ofthe reducer 23. The

enlarged, upper portion 26 of the reducer 2'3 is provided withcircumferential y spaced threaded openings 21 through each of whichthreadedly extends an adjusting or set-screw 28, said screws extendinginwardly with respect to the reducer 23.

A torque tube 29 is loosely disposed within the tubular bracket 2| andhas its lower end extending into a socket 30 of the gear case M, bywhich said toroue tube 29 is supported in substantially an uprightposition. As seen in Figure 3, the socket 30 is sufiiciently large toafford a clearance between its annular wall and the torque tube 29 andthe bore of the tubular bracket 2| is likewise larger in diameter thanthe external diameter of the torque tube 29 to afford a clearancetherebetween. The torque tube 29 extends up wardly through the brackettube 2| and the reducer 23 to a point above said reducer but beneath thenormal level of the wringer gear head I. A collar 3| is secured bywelding, as seen at 32, or otherwise in a stationary manner around thetorque tube 29 and at a level tobe disposed within the enlarged reducerportion 26 and in horizontal alignment with the adjusting screws 28, theinner tapered ends of which engage the' periphery of the collar 3| orrecesses 33 therein. The lower end of the tubular wringer post 29 isdisposed loosely around the upper end of the torque tube 29 and restsupon the upper surface of the collar 3| and is swivelly supportedthereon so that the wringer l9 may swing in a circle above the tub I. g

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that by advancing orretracting the individual adjusting screws 28 the torque tube 29 may bedisplaced radially relatively to the bracket tube 2| and reducer 23 foreliminating any tilt of the torque tube 29 and for maintaining it in anup- 7 right position. As the weight of the wringer H] and its gear headI B are supported b'y'the torque tube 29 through engagement of thetubular gear post with the collar 3|, the drive shaft I! is relievedentirely from the weight of the wringer or gear head so that alltendency to displace the drive shaft out of an upright position iseliminated thereby insuring proper'meshing engagement of the gear fordriving said shaft and by which the wringer is driven thereby andadditionally insuring that the wringer I9 will be supported with itslongitudinal axis in substantially a'horizontal plane and above the tubI and free to revolve in a circle thereover. By proper adjustment of thescrews 28 any unusual weight to which the wringer l9 might be subjected.and

ing certain of the screws 28 and loosening other of said screws.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

.-I"claim as my invention --1. A torque tube bracket: assembly forclothes wringers comprising a bracket tube adapted to extend through apassage in the central portion of a laundry tuband secured thereto in anupright position, a reducer having a restricted lower end secured aroundthe upper end of said bracket tube and adapted to be disposed above thelevel of the top of the tub, a plurality of circumferentially spacedadjusting setscrews extending threadedly through the enlarged upperportion thereto, and means. mounted on said torque tubewhich would 'tendto cause the wringer to sag at of said reducer and disposed radiallythereof, a torque tube adapted to be supported at its lower end on agear case disposed beneath the tub and extending upwardly therefromthrough the brack et tube and reducer, said torque tube being adapted toloosely accommodate a clothes wringer drive shaft therein and beingradially displaceable relatively to the bracket tube, drive shaft andgear case, and a collar disposed around the torque tube and securedthereto, said collar being disposed to be engaged by the inner end ofsaid adjusting screws whereby theadjusting screws will maintain thetorque tube in an upright" position, and said collar being adapted toprovide a support for the lower endflof a tubular post which dependsfrom the gear head of a clothes wringer for supporting the clotheswring-.

or on the torque tube. V

2. A torque tube bracket assembly as in claim 1, said gear head postbeing rotatable on said collar and being swivelly disposed around theportion of the torque tube extending above the collar.

3. A torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers comprising atubular bracket member adapted to extend through a laundry tub andrigidly secured thereto in an upright position, a torque tube extendingloosely through saidtubular bracket and adapted to be supported at itslower end on a gear case for a clothes wringer and being displaceableradially relatively to the tubular bracket and gear case, said torquetube being adapted to loosely accommodate a clothes wringer drive shafttherein, means disposed adjacent the upper end of the tubular. brackettor radially displacing. the. torque tube relatively on which thedepending end of a tubular gear headpost of a clothes -wringer isadapted to be swivelly supported for swingably mounting the clotheswringer and for maintaining it with its longitudinal axis. insubstantially a horizontal position.

4. A torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers comprising a.tubular bracket adapted tocbe fixedly su'pportedin anupright position,a torque tube' extending longitudinally therethrough adapted to besupported" atits lower end on the gear case of a clothes wringer andproviding a housing adapted to loosely accommodate a clothes wringerdrive shaft therein, said. torque tube being, radially displaceablerelatively.

to the tubular bracketjandgear case, adjustable. means adjacent theupper end of said tubular bracket for displacing the torquetube radiallythereof and for maintaining it in adjustedposi tions relativelytothetubular bracket, and acollar carried bysaid torque tube and adaptedto support and swivelly mount a depending tubular post of the gear headof the wringer.

5. A torque tube assembly as in claim 4, said torque tube and gear headpost forming a housing through which the wringer drive shaft is adaptedto loosely extend.

6. A torque tube bracket assembly as in claim 4, said tubular brackethaving an enlargement at its upper end in which said collar is looselydisposed, and said means comprising setscrews threadedly engaging saidenlargement and ex tending radially therethrough for engagement with thecollar.

7. A torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers comprising atubular bracket member adapted to extend through a laundry tub andrigidly secured thereto in an upright position, a torque tube extendingloosely through said tubular bracket and adapted to be supported at itslower end on a gear case for a clothes wringer and being mounted forlimited rocking movement on the gear case and within the bracket tube,means disposed adjacent the upper end of the tubular bracket for rockingthe torque tube relatively thereto, and means mounted on said torquetube on which the depending end of a tubular gear head post of a clotheswringer is adapted to be swivelly supported for swingably mounting theclothes wringer and for maintaining it with its longitudinal axis insubstantially a horizontal position.

8. A torque tube bracket assembly for clothes wringers comprising atubular bracket adapted to be fixedly supported in an upright position,a torque tube extending longitudinally therethrough adapted to besupported at its lower end on a gear case for limited rocking movementrelatively thereto, said torque tube being swingable within the tubularbracket, adjustable means adjacent the upper end of said tubular bracketfor displacing the torque tube radially thereof and for maintaining itin adjusted positions relatively to the tubular bracket, and a collarcarried by said torque tube and adapted to support and swivelly mount adepending tubular post of the gear head of the wringer.

ORVILLE F. COUCHO'I'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

